Frankenstein and The Weeping Woman
The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso and the novel Frankenstein are connected very closely through the theme of suffering. The woman in the painting is obviously experiencing extreme suffering, just as both the creature and Victor must endure. This painting is a pure illustration of suffering. The ridged lines create a sense of harshness, which pushes the eye around the image, adding to the forcefulness of the image. This forcefulness makes the woman’s suffering very prominent and powerful.
In Picasso’s painting the woman is depicted as being alone. This creates a sense of isolation in the painting that could be the cause of her suffering. According to pablopicasso.org this painting was created in 1937, shortly after the Spanish civil war. This means the woman’s crying and suffering is very likely be a result of loss of loved ones in the war. Loosing loved ones often creates a sense of loneliness and isolation in humans. Victor also feels this same type of suffering when his own creation kills his loved ones.
Lastly the contortion in the face of the woman shows her extreme sorrow, and is also very similar to the way Victor describes the creature’s face. Both of these character’s appearance is strongly connected the suffering they endure. The woman’s contorted face is one of the effects of her suffering and Victor’s creature’s terrifying appearance is the cause of his suffering. Victor also describes the creature as having “watery eyes” (Shelley 58). Watery eyes are often a sign of human sadness or suffering. The woman in the painting also has very watery eyes, because she has obviously been crying. According to pablopicasso.org the woman in this painting is based off “The Mater Dolorosa, the weeping Virgin… as traditional image in Spanish art”. The Mater Dolorosa means “sorrowful mother” or “the mother of sorrows” (Mater Dolorosa par. 1), which a reference to the Virgin Mary who weeps for the loss of her son. This shows her suffering is a result of loss of loved ones, just as Victor’s sorrow is a result of loosing his loved ones.